Daily Notes: Give a Care About Jeff Samardzija

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Daily Notes.

1. Featured Game: Atlanta at Chicago NL, 20:05 ET
2. Video You Can Watch: Jeff Samardzija’s Most Recent Start
3. Other Notable Games (Including MLB.TV Free Game)
4. Today’s Complete Schedule

Featured Game: Atlanta at Chicago NL, 20:05 ET
Regarding Who’s Starting Tonight for Chicago
In terms of who’s starting tonight for Chicago, it’s right-hander Jeff Samardzija.

Regarding Why Anyone Should Give a Care
In terms of why anyone should give a care about how Jeff Samardzija is starting, consider that, among the 137 pitchers with 20-plus innings as a starter this season, he ranks 14th by xFIP (2.92), third in swinging-strike rate (13.0%), and third in average fastball velocity (95.0 mph, per PITCHf/x) — and also has an above-average overall strike rate (65.2%).

Regarding the Significance of the Aforecited Metrics
The significance of the aforecited metrics is that they’re all, each of them, scientifically proven by science to correlate pretty strongly with the aesthetic appeal — or, watchability — of a pitcher.

Something That Science Probably Understands Less Well
Something that science probably understands less well is Bryan LaHair’s 2012 season to date. Line (after play Sunday): 92 PA, .390/.478/.779 (.548 BABIP), 228 wRC+. His WAR entering the game was 1.6.

Pitching for Atlanta
Right-hander Tommy Hanson (33.2 IP, 105 xFIP-, 0.7 WAR) pitches for Atlanta.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast
Per the results of our offseason crowdsourcing project, FanGraphs readers prefer Chicago NL Television (link).

Video You Can Watch: Jeff Samardzija’s Most Recent Start
Here’s video of Jeff Samardzija’s most recent start, a 3-1 Cubs win over the Reds (box). Samardzija’s line: 7.2 IP, 27 TBF, 7 K, 2 BB, 6 GB on 17 batted-balls (35.3%), 2.81 xFIP.

Among the most impressive pitches you’ll see here are the splitters at 0:12 and 1:23, and then what is either a 91-92 mph slider or cutter at 1:33 and 1:57.

Other Notable Games
Chicago AL at Cleveland | 19:05 ET ***MLB.TV Free Game***
Left-hander Eric Stults, 32, gets the start in this, the second game of a Monday doubleheader between Chicago and Cleveland. Stults last started a major-league game for the Dodgers in 2009. He’s a candidate to replace left-hander Chris Sale in the White Sox rotation. One wouldn’t think that Stults would have much to offer, but pitching coach Don Cooper’s track record for unlikely reclamation projects continues to grow.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Cleveland.

St. Louis at Arizona | 21:40 ET
Lance Lynn pitches for the Cardinals. Line so far: 33.2 IP, 24.8% K, 5.8% BB, 56.0% GB, 2.80 SIERA, 78 xFIP-, 0.8 WAR.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Arizona.

Today’s Complete Schedule
Here’s the complete schedule for all of today’s games, with our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for each one. Pitching probables and game times aggregated from MLB.com and RotoWire. The average NERD Game Score for today is 4.6.

Regard, a magnificent and sortable table:

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
Philip Humber	CHA	5	6	5	4	5	CLE	Zach McAllister*	13:05
Eric Stults*	CHA	5	6	5	4	6	CLE	Josh Tomlin	19:05
Jonathon Niese	NYN	7	2	5	2	6	PHI	Roy Halladay	19:05
Matt Harrison	TEX	6	10	4	5	0	BAL	Brian Matusz	19:05
Tommy Hanson	ATL	4	8	7	2	10	CHN	Jeff Samardzija	20:05
Carlos Zambrano	MIA	3	3	4	8	5	HOU	Wandy Rodriguez	20:05
Jered Weaver	LAA	7	3	3	2	0	MIN	Francisco Liriano	20:10
Felix Doubront	BOS	8	5	5	9	0	KC	Jo. Sanchez	20:10
Bronson Arroyo	CIN	4	3	4	6	4	MIL	Yovani Gallardo	20:10
Lance Lynn	STL	9	10	7	6	3	AZ	Joe Saunders	21:40
Drew Pomeranz	COL	4	10	5	5	5	SD	Edinson Volquez	22:05
Doug Fister*	DET	8	2	4	3	1	SEA	Blake Beavan	22:10
Barry Zito	SF	0	5	2	6	2	LAN	Ted Lilly	22:10

To learn more about Pitcher and Team NERD scores click here.
To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.